celebrate your extraordinary ordinary

Ask a newly inducted older sibling ages 1-5 y/o to hold the baby and the response could be anything. Mostly, its enthusiastic. Occasionally its absolute revulsion. Almost always, its short lived as one party or another is going to have “enough” quick! These two were so into it, though, they couldn’t even look up at…

I need a change of scenery – badly. Phil saw his shadow today and while seasonal info isn’t best taken from a groundhog, there’s little doubt that winter is here to stay for awhile. It doesn’t help that we miss them so much. Evenings together always ran late night while a pack of boys tore…

I couldn’t remember what Andrea told me so I Googled the name Caris for its meaning. “Grace, charm or favor” came up, Greek in origin, the one who is hoped for. I met her family this past fall, shortly before her early appearance. I thought about sharing those photos first but I’ve never put too…

Baby, its cold outside. Its been an unusually cruel winter here in the Mid-Atlantic so far. Its been that bone chilling, fireplace huddling, static cling shocking, fighting over the “good blanket”, say a little prayer every time the heat kicks back on kind of cold. Which could make an outdoor-loving photographer feel rather down and…

I’ve wanted to do an FPD on the James River for as long as I can imagine. The problem? Both accessibility and safety… the prettier spots along Pony Pasture and River Road can take effort to get to with small children in tow and the rapids pose dangers that I don’t worry about during a…

Cherry Hill Park was “our park” when we first moved to the DC area three years ago. I have fond memories of playing on the playground with my son and throwing the frisbee to our dog in the big open space. There was one day when Fiver decided the green play house would be a…

For the past couple of years I have chosen a spot on a local trail behind our home for an Annandale version of FPD. A creek restoration project still underway has limited the workable trail area but I have returned again and again to one quiet spot with some green space running alongside a creek. …

“Fall is coming” doesn’t have the same dramatic flare as “winter is coming.” And besides, fall is technically already here: it just doesn’t feel that way with temps near 90 degrees here in DC. So perhaps I should say, “fall FPD is coming…” instead. If you are new to the Family Picture Day tradition, its…

Six months is my favorite baby age to photograph. Small enough that we’re still clearly in baby territory (toddlerhood comes quick) but big enough to laugh, play and have a pretty definitive personality. And half way through a year, a new addition isn’t so new anymore but part of the mix. I love all of…

Family Picture Days are generally popular events, I love the convenience and my clients love the discounts. Everybody wins! I offered a summer FPD for the first time this year here in the DC area and it was a tough sell. I get why its intimidating: July is generally stinkin’ hot, there are swim events…

“Brett, myself and Indy (the dog) are a family so you aren’t straying too far from family photography! :)” Lisa wasn’t taking no for an answer and I’m glad she didn’t. In her first email she asked if I would take engagement photos for herself and Brett. In my response I politely turned her…

This family. I’ve been following them for awhile, from their engagement into the realm of parenthood and then from Kellen’s newborn days to this shoot close to MacKayla’s first birthday. When I think of families I hope we emulate I think of this one immediately. There’s a trust they have in me that I am…